ChemCam, a multitalented instrument for remotely analyzing Martian rocks and soils, fires a laser at targets up to seven meters away to determine their chemical composition. The brief laser shots pack quite a wallop—each five-nanosecond laser pulse delivers a megawatt of power, which suffices to turn a tiny region of rock or soil into glowing, ionized gas, or plasma.

ChemCam’s 110-millimeter telescope then takes in light from the laser-excited plasma and routes it to a suite of spectrometers for analysis. The spectrometers can assess the composition of the sample by parsing individual wavelengths of light in the plasma, each of which is characteristic of a different chemical element.

Above is a before-and-after series from a ChemCam analysis of a patch of soil called Beechey. Each of the fields of view is about eight centimeters across, and the five laser-bored spots in the right image are each two to four millimeters wide. The holes were carved out by a sequence of 50 laser pulses apiece from a distance of about 3.5 meters.

A video made by David Lambert et al showing why Geography is a key subject and the importance of understanding it in the context of our modern world.

This is a creative video that promotes geo-literacy. It is an excellent way to kick off a new school year if you are looking for a 'hook' to demonstrate the importance of geography to students today. Other materials of this nature can be found on this website under the tag 'geo-inspiration' which is accessible here: http://www.scoop.it/t/geography-education?tag=geo-inspiration

I didn't realize how important geography is. It seems very fascinating to learn about geography and how it has so much to do with the future and how our world keeps changing. I can't wait to learn about it in class.

This video really gave me a better idea of what this class will teach me and give me more knowledge about. I never really understood the definition of geography and why it was so important. It really seems like an interesting class and I'm very interested.

The protection and the sustainable management of soil resources in Africa are of paramount importance, particularly in the context of the uncertain impact of climate change and the increasing pressures of human activities. From the perspective of a policy-maker interested in topics such as food security and land degradation in Africa, this situation requires up-to-date and relevant soil information at regional and continental scales. To provide timely and reliable information on soils at synoptic scales, moderate and coarse spatial resolution satellite data offer many possibilities. The paper reviews how a range of multispectral, thermal infrared, passive microwave and active microwave spaceborne sensors can be used in the delineation of soil units, as well as in the assessment of some of their key properties and threats to soil functions from pressures such as water and wind erosion, landslides and salinization. The paper shows that remotely sensed data can be used for mapping soils in Africa but often need to be combined with ancillary data and field observations in order to be effective. Remote sensing is shown to be a key component of the emerging discipline of digital soil mapping.

That was cool. Thanks for sharing. I have a new fun tool for virtual storm chasing. I'm not as adventurous as I used to be. Is there any chance that there is an international version? We had a big typhoon in Asia this past week. Crazy weather.

This interactive map is a 'nearly live' dynamic display of United States winds patterns (speed, direction and broad spatial context). Click on the image to see the animated, large version. Super cool!!

Google Moon is a service similar to Google Maps that shows satellite images of the Moon. It was launched by Google on July 20, 2005, the 36th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. The landing site of each of the Apollo missions is shown on the satellite image, providing more information on each mission as the user zooms in.

The cloud is growing in importance for GIS professionals, with cost efficiency, scalability, and flexibility as major drivers. We can see the beginnings of cloud options for many organizations with the ability to run ArcGIS Server ...

The protection and the sustainable management of soil resources in Africa are of paramount importance, particularly in the context of the uncertain impact of climate change and the increasing pressures of human activities. From the perspective of a policy-maker interested in topics such as food security and land degradation in Africa, this situation requires up-to-date and relevant soil information at regional and continental scales. To provide timely and reliable information on soils at synoptic scales, moderate and coarse spatial resolution satellite data offer many possibilities. The paper reviews how a range of multispectral, thermal infrared, passive microwave and active microwave spaceborne sensors can be used in the delineation of soil units, as well as in the assessment of some of their key properties and threats to soil functions from pressures such as water and wind erosion, landslides and salinization. The paper shows that remotely sensed data can be used for mapping soils in Africa but often need to be combined with ancillary data and field observations in order to be effective. Remote sensing is shown to be a key component of the emerging discipline of digital soil mapping.

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